


Missing Memories

by nebulousrk



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Amnesia, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brain Damage, Car Accidents, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Hospitalization, Light Angst, M/M, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:22:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29830410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nebulousrk/pseuds/nebulousrk
Summary: When Hinata Shoyo wakes up in a hospital bed after a car accident, something is terribly wrong. Specifically that he can't seem to remember the past 14 months. He doesn't remember his sister going off to college, joining the Olympic Team, or the fact that he and Kageyama are apparently roommates now. Now he needs to navigate his life while trying to get his memories back, and figuring out what exactly is going on with Kageyama.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

The squealing of breaks, the crunching of metal, and the shattering of glass. A sudden sharp pain and then, darkness.

* * *

That’s all Hinata can remember when he wakes up in the hospital bed with an aching head and an arm wrapped in bandages. As the room slowly comes into focus, Hinata takes stock of his surroundings: an IV is attached to his non-bandaged arm, a heart rate monitor registering a steady beep, a deep ache throughout his entire body, and a sharp, pulsing pain in his head. He tries to get a handle on his surroundings, but his eyesight is blurry.

Looking around he takes note of the stark white walls, the florescent lighting, and Kageyama sitting on a chair across from his bed with his head in his hands.

Wait… Kageyama Tobio? In what is clearly a hospital room? With him?

Hinata groans loudly and tries to make sense of what exactly is happening around him. His head is pounding, and his vision is starting to spot. “Kage- ya” he manages to croak out. Kageyama is instantly on his feet rushing towards the bed with wide eyes. “You’re awake” he cries. Hinata groans again as he feels himself drifting out of consciousness. The last thing he’s aware of is Kageyama calling out for a nurse and grabbing his hand.

* * *

This time Hinata hears a gentle, feminine voice as he gains consciousness. “Hinata, can you hear me? Come on back to us. There you go, open your eyes now.”

Hinata slowly flutters his eyes open to see a brown-haired woman with a concerned look on her face. “Welcome back, honey” she says, “Hinata, you’re in Osaka General Hospital right now and I’m your nurse, Aika. Do you remember what happened?”

A vague memory is returning to Hinata. He was in the car going… somewhere? Back home? He was stopped at the intersection, and then what happened. He has a vague memory of another car barreling through the intersection.

“Car accident?” he grunts out.

“Yes” replies the nurse. “You were hit by a drunk driver and were brought in and you’ve been unconscious for two days. We’re glad that you’re finally waking up.”

Hinata’s first thought immediately jumps to volleyball. Shit. He’s all bandaged up and feels a dull ache throughout his body. Does he have broken bones? Permanent damage? Will he be able to keep playing volleyball? What will happen to him if he can’t play anymore? His career is just getting started- is this really the end? Hinata’s eyes begin to well with tears at the thought of this being the end of everything he had worked so hard for.

“Am I-” he tries to choke out. “I mean- will I ever- I’m a professional volleyball player…”

The nurse, Aika gives him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. The physical damage doesn’t appear to be too bad. You have a fractured left wrist and a few broken ribs. You do have head injury that we had to sew up, but with a couple of months of healing and some physical therapy, you’ll be back to full strength in no time.”

Hinata lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding as the nurse continues speaking. “What we’re really worried about is a head injury or possible brain damage. The doctor will be in to see you later today and will likely order a CT scan. In the meantime, you have some visitors who are waiting to see you.”

Hinata tries not to be too concerned about what Aika is saying. His physical well-being is his priority after all. Aika runs through a few tests- checking his vitals and asking him a few questions about his pain level.

“Well this is all I can do for right now Mr. Hinata, we’ll have to wait for the doctor for everything else. For now, try to relax. Your mom just arrived a half-hour ago and is eager to see you. I’ll send her in first.”

The thought of his mom immediately makes him feel better. He’s so distracted by the thought of hugging his mom that he almost misses the nurse’s next words.

“-and of course poor Mr. Kageyama. He hasn’t left your side since we brought you in. I had to kick him out a few minutes ago and force him down to the cafeteria to get some food and coffee since he hasn't gotten any sleep over the past 48 hours. He’s been too worried.”

Okay, Hinata’s sure something must be wrong with his brain now because he’s pretty sure he just heard the nurse mention _Kageyama_. But that can’t be right. Not that he and Kageyama don’t have a great relationship- they do. While they still maintain their high school rivalry (and Hinata knows they are both too competitive to ever let _that_ go) they spent that last year of high school becoming each other’s closest friends and confidants. Even maintaining regular contact through Skype sessions and WhatsApp when Hinata played abroad in Brazil. And yes, maybe Hinata had a not-so-tiny crush on Kageyama back in high school. And maybe being back in the same country and playing professionally at the same time has made that crush resurface _slightly_ over the past few months. But that doesn’t mean that Kageyama would be visiting his hospital room-

“Shoyo!”

Hinata had been so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice that nurse had stopped talking and left the room until he heard his mother’s teary voice.

Seeing his mom crying causes his own tears to resurface as he maneuvers his non-fractured arm around his IV to grab his mom’s hand. “We were so worried about you,” she chokes out. “After the hospital called- I wasn’t able to get a train until this morning. I was so scared.”

Hinata’s heart squeezes as he looks at his mother’s tear stricken face.

“I’m okay, mom” he gently tells her.

Hinata’s mom gives a watery smile as she gently brushes his hair back off his forehead. “I know, honey. And I am so thankful for that. Natsu is panicking since she can’t get a flight right now, and of course her finals are coming up. All I can say is thank god that volleyball season is over, so Tobio was able to be here. That was the only thing keeping me sane.”

Hinata’s brain momentarily shuts down. He understands all the words his mom is saying, but they just don’t seem to make any sense to him. First of all, _Tobio_?! Since when is his mom on a first name basis with his high school rival? And why is she also talking like _Tobio_ is here. Hinata may be under the influence of some painkillers, but he’s pretty sure the nurse had told him he was in _Osaka_. Where the aforementioned Tobio most certainly does not live. And he cannot even begin to wrap his mind around his mom’s comments on Natsu. Or the fact that she said volleyball season was over?

Hinata’s thoughts are jumbled together and nothing makes sense. He drops his mom’s hand and brings his head down to his hands with a moan. He tries to put together the words bouncing around his brain into a sentence that makes sense, but nothing is coming to him.

"I don’t know what’s going on” he manages to croak out. “I don’t understand anything you’re saying to me. Wh- What plane? And why are you calling him _Tobio?_ And why is he-”

“You’re awake.”

Hinata’s string of babble is cut off when the very object of his confusion steps into the room with Nurse Aika.

Hinata’s eyes widen with shock. Kageyama IS here. Here in Osaka. Here in his hospital room. Here, staring at Hinata with wide blue eyes, his hand clenched around a styrofoam cup, his knuckles white. He looks... well, he looks like Kageyama always does when he isn’t on a volleyball court. Slightly uneasy and awkward; like he doesn’t know what to do with his arms.

But it’s his face that throws Hinata. Kageyama’s eyes have dark circles under them. His clothes are wrinkled, and his hair is so messy that it looks like it hasn’t been brushed in days. His normally passive face is pale and pinched in a way that makes him look older.

“You’re awake” he repeats. His voice soft and raspy, in a way that suggests he had been crying.

"Ye-Yeah” Hinata chokes out. He stares at Kageyama, unsure of what else to say, or how to wrap his mind around the entire situation.

He’s spared the need to say anything when Kageyama heads across the room straight to Hinata’s other side and kneels down next to his bed. He drops his head down on the hospital bed, leaning his forehead against Hinata’s shoulder.

“You’re awake” he mumbles for the third time. Apparently, Hinata is not the only one struggling to find the right words because Kageyama does not seem able to say anything else at the moment. He simply stays still with his head buried in Hinata’s shoulder- one hand still clutching the coffee cup and the other hand awkwardly gripping the sheets of the hospital bed.

Hinata’s mom smiles at him fondly from the other side of the bed where she is standing. Nurse Aika hovers near by, marking down information on the whiteboard hanging near the door.

Hinata’s brain is slowly rebooting. Not only is Kageyama here- visiting him in the hospital, Kageyama is touching him. Sure, Hinata and Kageyama have touched plenty. Hinata is a naturally physical person after all, and you can’t be on the same team without some level of physical contact, but this is new. With Kageyama’s face buried in Hinata’s shoulder, Hinata can feel his hot breath in the juncture between his shoulder and neck. It feels strange and intimate, and Hinata doesn't know how to react.

He’s opening and closing his mouth like a fish- not wanting this moment to end but feeling supremely awkward and unprepared for what’s going on. Luckily, Nurse Aika seems to notice his discomfort and steps towards him.

“Okay. I know everybody is happy to see our patient awake, but let’s give him some space to breath. Remember he has two broken ribs and a head injury. Mr. Hinata is probably feeling very claustrophobic and confused right now.”

She shoos Kageyama away from the side of the bed, and Hinata is simultaneously relieved and disappointed. The nurse busies herself fixing Hinata's IV and adjusting his bed.

“How are you feeling, honey?” Hinata’s mom asks, looking him over with a concerned eye.

Hinata glances between his mom and Kageyama. Both of their eyes are wide and filled with concern. Despite being swollen and puffy, Kageyama’s blue eyes are staring straight at him. Hinata can’t quite read what’s happening in those eyes, but its giving him a soft, warm feeling in the pit of his stomach that he doesn’t quite understand.

“Just, can we slow down a minute? I honestly don’t really know what’s going on or totally understand what happened to me? I mean I remember being in the car, but after that…” Hinata’s voice trails off.

The nurse reaches for his wrist to check his pulse as she answers. “You were in a pretty bad car accident a little over two days ago which as you know led to your broken ribs and fractured wrist. You were also knocked unconscious. After we brought you in, we were able to get in contact with Mr. Kageyama and your mother.”

“Hang on!” Hinata interrupts, “what do you mean you got in contact with Kageyama? Why did you even know to call him?”

Nurse Aika removes her hand from Hinata’s wrist and looks at him quizzically. “We have your patient records on file and Kageyama Tobio was listed as your primary emergency contact, along with your mother.”

“Huh. Why are you my emergency contact?” Hinata says turning to look at Kageyama. Kageyama stares back at him with wide, questioning eyes.

“What are you talking about? Of course I’m your emergency contact.”

Kageyama looks just as confused as Hinata feels, which makes no sense and Hinata feels his frustration begin to resurface. Why on earth is Kageyama looking at him like he just grew a second head? Hinata backtracks through his memories since returning from Brazil eleven months ago. For the life of him, he cannot think of a reason why he would’ve made Kageyama his emergency contact in the past eleven months.

“Shoyo, honey, tell us what you're feeling” his mom gently prompts.

Hinata takes a deep breath and slowly sits up in his bed. and lets loose with a stream of questions, “What is going on? Kageyama is here in Osaka and is apparently my emergency contact? When did that happen? I mean- he’s my best friend, but I don’t even remember deciding that. And where is Natsu. Did she stay in Miyagi alone? Why didn’t she come with you on the train this morning? You said something about a plane?”

Hinata pauses in his rant and notices that his mother is staring at him with wide eyes. Kageyama’s already pale face has gone paler and his mouth is wide open. Even Nurse Aika is silent, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

Hinata sinks back down on the bed. His entire chest is aching and still, nobody is explaining anything to him!

“Shoyo,” his mom starts delicately. “Where do you think Natsu is right now?”

What the hell? That’s not the response Hinata is expecting. “In Miyagi, back home. Maybe at school I guess? I have no idea what day or time it is”

“Which school?”

Hinata stares at his mother. What kind of question is that.

“At Niiyama, obviously”

The expression that crosses his mother’s face is not one that Hinata understands. He’s starting to get a sick feeling in his stomach, and he doesn’t think it's due to his broken ribs.

“At Niiyama High School… right?”

His mom shakes her head slowly, “Hinata, you think Natsu is still attending Niiyama High School? You think she’s there _right now_?

The sick feeling is getting worse. “Well, yeah. She plays volleyball for their team…”

Hinata turns to Kageyama for back up. He knows during their many Skype calls while Hinata was in Brazil he told Kageyama how proud he was that Natsu was following him into volleyball, and what an amazing libero she was, and how she worked so hard to play for such a well-regarded school. Since he's been back in Japan, he has even shown Kageyama videos of her playing whenever they have a chance to get together.

The look on Kageyama’s face stops him short. Kageyama’s face has gone completely blank and he’s gripping the styrafoam cup so firmly that it’s starting to break.

“Hinata,” he says slowly, “Natsu isn’t in high school anymore. She’s in America at UCLA. That’s where she goes to college.”

Time freezes for a moment. Hinata is trying to make sense of what is happening around him. Natsu… is in America? But… how? That doesn’t even make sense. Hinata never heard anything about her going to America. His mind is running a mile a minute as he tries to put together what is going on. Nothing Kageyama just said aligns with anything Hinata knows to be true. Is this some kind of strange joke that he doesn’t understand? Hinata attempts to explain himself again.

“What are you talking about? Natsu can’t be in college. She still hasn’t graduated high school.”

Nobody speaks. They all just look at him.

“Look!” Hinata is getting increasingly agitated. “I know Natsu isn’t in America. She just came to one of my games!”

He turns to his mom frantically, “Remember- she and her friend from her team took the train here. They watched our game and I took them out to dinner afterwards to celebrate. It was against the Suntory Sunbirds.”

Nobody is speaking.

“C’mon. We crushed them. It was a great game. What was her friend’s name… uhh Kai. That was it. This was like 3 weeks ago. I just saw her!”

Kageyama’s grip on the cup hasn’t loosened.

“I… just… saw her” he tries again, his voice wavering.

The silence is filling the room, and Hinata doesn’t understand the butterflies filling up his stomach.

Aika breaks through the awkwardness by bringing Hinata a cup of water. “Sit up, let me help you drink this and then we’ll figure all of this out.”

She raises his bed and plumps the pillow behind his head, before helping him lean over and drink. “Now let’s all relax and figure this out.” Her voice is firm and pleasant but does little to quell the uncomfortable feeling in Hinata’s stomach.

“Hinata,” she says, “how long do you think you’ve been playing professional volleyball?”

Hinata rolls his neck back and forth trying to get rid of some of the stiffness while he glances again at Kageyama. He’s standing stiffly with his entire body tensed up. He looks on edge- like he’s desperate to hear Hinata’s answer.

“I played in Brazil for two years, and almost a year ago I moved back to Japan. I’ve been playing for the MSBY Black Jackals for about four months.”

Hinata hears a sharp intake of breath from Kageyama.

“I see” said the nurse, “and how old do you think you are?”

What kind of question is that. How old does he _think_ he is. Hinata may be confused, but he can tell that something is really wrong. There is something seriously wrong with this line of questioning, and the atmosphere in the room is very heavy. His mother’s mouth is spread into a thin line, and Kageyama looks the most on edge that Hinata has ever seen him.

“I was born in 1996. I’m twenty-two.”

The only sound in the room is the sudden crunching of styrafoam and the sound of liquid spilling to the ground. Kageyama had squeezed the cup so hard, that it split down the middle spilling warm coffee on the hospital floor.

Hinata whips his head around to look at his mother, but she has closed her eyes and looks like she may pass out.

Okay, now Hinata is starting to feel scared. “What is going on?” His raises his voice an octave, “why are you all looking at me like that?”

The smile has dropped off Aika’s face. “Mr. Hinata” she says “Based on the records we have of you and based on the information that’s been confirmed by your emergency contacts. You are not twenty-two years old. You’re almost twenty-four years old, and you’ve been playing professionally for the Black Jackals for eighteen months”

Hinata’s insides freeze. This must be some kind of joke, right? He doesn’t understand- he _knows_ he got back from Brazil a little over a year ago, and has been playing volleyball in Japan for four months. He remembers joining the Black Jackals and playing Kageyama for one of his first professional games. He remembers that game vividly. The satisfaction of proving to Kageyama that he could stand on equal footing with him. He has no memories of an additional fourteen months of being back in Japan.

“I- I don’t get it” he finally sputters out.

Hinata’s mumbling seems to have shaken Kageyama out of the stupor he was in. Ignoring the warm liquid running down his hand, he moves closer to Hinata, stopping at the end of his bed.

“You can’t remember?” Kageyama asks softly. “You don’t remember your sister getting accepted to college in America? Or the past year of playing volleyball for the Black Jackals?”

“N- No” Hinata’s voice wavers.

“Do you remember being asked to join the 2021 Olympic team?

“What? I’m playing for Team Japan?!”

Emotions are swirling around in Hinata’s head. He’s confused and elated at the same time. _Team Japan._ That’s been his dream for _years._ But shouldn’t he know that he was chosen? How does Kageyama know if Hinata didn’t even know that.

“Yeah” Kageyama says quietly. “Me and you. We’re both on the Olympic Team. We’re playing… together.”

There’s a look in his eye that Hinata can’t recognize. He just looks back at Kageyama’s face- trying to figure everything out.

It’s Hinata’s mom that breaks the silence by asking the nurse what is going on.

Nurse Aika chews on her lip and answers slowly. “I’m… not exactly sure. I’ll have to wait until the doctor is here and we can do more testing, but… it seems like Mr. Hinata may have suffered more brain damage than we initially thought.”

“What do you mean?” Kageyama demands.

The nurse continues, “at this moment, it seems like Hinata has lost a significant portion or perhaps even all of his memories from the past fourteen months.”

Fourteen months. He is missing memories of the past _fourteen months_? How did he forget? And what did he forget?

Hinata knows one thing. The sick feeling in his stomach doesn’t seem like it’s going to disappear any time soon.


	2. Chapter 2

The next few days are a battery of tests and doctor appointments. Other than a frantic phone call with Natsu, Hinata either spends his time in a morpheme induced daze or with his medical team answering questions with either his mother or Kageyama.

Hinata’s doctor, Dr. Sato, is a tall, graying man with a serious demeanor and a deep voice. He officially diagnoses Hinata with a form of retrograde amnesia due to head trauma caused by the car accident. Hinata's brain is essentially having trouble retrieving all his memories over the past fourteen months. Just a whole chunk of time missing- like part of his brain has been wiped clean.

There is some good news. None of Hinata’s physical abilities will be impacted. Six weeks to rest his ribs and wrist, a few months of physical therapy and he’ll be back at full strength on the court. Hinata isn’t sure if he or Kageyama looks more relieved at this news. Both of them are probably equally relieved considering they will be playing together at the 2021 Olympics- a fact that Hinata _just found out about_ and is simultaneously amazed and excited by.

There is also a collective sigh of relief at the fact that Hinata’s ability to form new memories is fine. The brain scan reveals no damage to his hippocampus. This means there is a very high chance of recovery. High, but not guaranteed. The question is… when? And this is a question the doctor does not have an answer for. This is a question that nobody seems to have an answer for. When will his memories come back?

Hinata is pondering this question while he waits for his next checkup. The crazy thing is, Hinata doesn't feel like he's missing any memories. Things are crystal clear in his mind. He remembers coming back from Brazil, joining the MSBY Black Jackals, _finally_ proving his value as a rival and a player to Kageyama, spending several months playing professionally- bonding with his teammates, becoming stronger and winning games. There are no blank spaces in his mind. It's like the past fourteen months never happened.

At this point Hinata isn't sure exactly what has happened in that missing time. He knows his sister has gone away to college and he's become a very successful volleyball player. Which is awesome! He only wishes he remembered it.

The door to his hospital room opening jolts him out of his thoughts. His mom gives him a smile as she walks in. “Good morning, sweetie. It's good to see you awake. How are you feeling?”

Hinata flashes her a smile, “feeling a little better. I'm definitely ready to be done with all these pain meds. I'm basically sleeping twenty hours a day on them.”

Hinata stretches out his neck and attempts to make himself comfortable while his mother busies herself by fluffing up his pillows. Dr. Sato should be here in a few minutes with the results of his final tests and Hinata can tell his mother is nervous. Honestly, Hinata is fairly nervous too- he would like some answers at this point. He knows that his mother and Kageyama have been having separate conversations with the doctor while he's been asleep. They both are evasive whenever he asks them anything and always seem to be giving each other looks over Hinata's shoulder. It's incredibly annoying.

“Good morning” calls Dr. Sato as he knocks on the inside of the door. “How are you feeling?”

“I'm feeling a lot better. I'm ready to get out of this hospital bed” Hinata says.

“That's good to hear.” Dr. Sato rolls up a chair next to Hinata's bed. “You have been healing really well- I think you'll be out of here by the end of the week.”

Hinata cheers inwardly. His entire medical team is great, and they have been doing such a good job taking care of him. But he wasn't meant to lay around in a hospital bed. Even if he can't play volleyball just yet, Hinata is ready to rejoin society. No matter how many drugs get pumped into his IV, there are only so many morning talk show episodes one can watch before they start to lose their mind.

“Can I play volleyball again soon?”

Hinata's mom laughs fondly at the question. “That's your priority? Maybe think about your brain for a moment.”

Dr. Sato gives a good-natured chuckle. “You'll be able to play volleyball soon enough. I'll actually send in the physical therapist sometime tomorrow. That way you can work out a plan to keep up your fitness.”

Hinata cheers out loud this time.

“With that said,” continues Dr. Sato, “let's go over what we know from your tests and what's happening inside your brain.”

“Retrograde amnesia?” questions Hinata's mom.

“Exactly,” says Dr. Sato. “Just like we've been over, Mr. Hinata has a form of retrograde amnesia caused by severe trauma from the car accident. Now, having memory loss after an accident such as this is not uncommon. The good news is none of tests seemed to reveal permanent damage. Your brain is still in good shape.”

Hinata's mom pats him encouragingly on the shoulder. “So he'll get his memories back?”

Dr. Sato sighs deeply. “In most cases, patients have no trouble recovering their memories. But...”

Hinata feels his heart drop into his stomach. “But?”

“Unfortunately, the brain is a complex machine. There is a lot about it that we just don't know. Your case is... different. Most amnesia patients lose only memories from right before the accident. They forget why they were in the car or where they were going. _Maybe_ they lose a few days; in very rare cases they lose a few months. Losing fourteen months is unprecedented.”

His mom's hand digs into his shoulder uncomfortably.

“Right now the MRTs don't show anything to indicate why Mr. Hinata has lost such a big chunk of his memories. To put in frankly, we aren't exactly sure why he lost such a significant amount of memories or when those memories will return.”

Hinata swallows, but the lump in his throat doesn't disappear. “Bu-but I will get my memories back?”

His nerves are on edge as the doctor opens his mouth. “We have every reason to believe your memories will come back... we just don't know when that will be.”

“Is it guaranteed?”

Dr. Sato looks Hinata right in the eye. “All the evidence indicates your memories will come back, but no, I cannot say it is a guarantee that they will return.”

The room is silent for a few moments.

“Thank you for the information” whispers his mom.

“This is not bad news. There does not appear to be any permanent brain damage that would impact Hinata's intelligence or personality. We just have to put together the best plan to move forward.”

Hinata nods his head silently. This conversation is getting to him and he's starting to feel sleepy. Despite the fact that he just woke up less than an hour ago, his eyelids are getting heavy.

Dr. Sato pats his knee kindly. “I know this is a lot to handle right now. I'm going to give you another dose of morpheme to help you relax while I have a short conversation with your mother outside. I'll come by again tomorrow.”

Hinata nods in assent as his body floods with warmth and he relaxes into his pillow.

* * *

He sleeps most of the day and night away, waking up early the next morning to meet with his physical therapist. Hinata gets a list of exercises and stretches he can do to maintain his strength and flexibility while he's injured. The therapist even helps him out of the bed and walks him around the hospital corridors. Being allowed to move around the building cheers Hinata up considerably.

His good mood only continues when Kageyama shows up for lunch with a container of meat buns that he unceremoniously drops on Hinata's bed.

“Alright” Hinata cheers. He shoves the meat-bun in his mouth. “anks Kageymm” he mumbles spraying out wet crumbs.

Kageyama eyes Hinata over “That's disgusting.”

Hinata swallows a huge bite. “It's not my fault, Jerkyyama! You don't know what it's like to have to eat hospital food for every meal. These meat buns are the first good food I've had for days.”

“I'm not a jerk, I brought you your favorite food, didn't I?”

“Yeah, yeah” Hinata sticks his tongue out at Kageyama, and Kageyama rolls his eyes in response. But there's a fond look in Kageyama's eyes that makes Hinata feel all warm inside.

He still hasn't fully grasped why Kageyama has come to visit him almost every day, but he'd be lying if he said it made him unhappy. Kageyama was his best friend in high school, and Hinata had missed him while he was in Brazil. Being back in Japan, and playing professionally for the past several months (that he remembered anyways) had just reinforced how important Kageyama would always be in his life.

Obviously, they had become even closer playing for rival teams, and training for the Olympics together. Hinata also picked up on the fact that Kageyama lived in Osaka part time now during the off season. Clearly their relationship had been upgraded from best friend/rivals who frequently face-timed and got together a few times a month for dinner and volleyball, to best friend/rivals who were so close that they were each other's emergency contacts. Which was pretty cool.

“Oi. Hinata. You okay?”

“I'm good” Hinata throws a toothy smile towards Kageyama, which strangely makes Kageyama flush. “I actually got to exercise this morning. And the physical therapist was super cool and gave me tons of good stretches. Actually I'll have to show you some of them later because there were some good ones to increase my arms' range of motion and you might like them...”

Kageyama lets Hinata ramble on about stretching and workouts, occasionally interjecting with a comment or question. The discussion turns to volleyball is it often does, and Hinata lets his head fall back on his pillow, feeling full and content.

Kageyama is describing a new workout to increase his serving strength. “I want to do the weights home too, but since our apartment is on the fifth floor and I just know our downstairs neighbors will complain about the noise.

Hinata jolts to attention, “Wait _our_ apartment?”

Kageyama snaps his mouth shut with a horrified look on his face.

“What do you mean our apartment?” repeats Hinata carefully. “Do we... live together?”

Kageyama doesn't say anything he just buries his face in his hands.

“Kageyaaamaaaa. Answer me! Do you get how frustrating this is for me? I'm always lost, and you and my mom won't help me figure anything out!”

Kageyama mumbles something into his hands.

“Huhh??!! Speak up, Mumbleyama”

Kageyama wrenches his head out of his hands, “The doctor said I can't tell you” he sputters out.

“What's up with that?” Hinata snaps.

“He told us to wait on telling you anything from your missing memories. He said it could mess with your brain's development... or something.”

A wave of understanding washes over Hinata. So _that's_ why he can't get anything out of his mom.

“I get it,” says Hinata “and I don't want to get you in trouble with the doctor or anything, but you did just say _our place_ so at this point you have to tell me something!”

Kageyama just glares at him.

“Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me.”

“Ugh fine” Kageyama snaps out. “We... we do live together.”

Hinata stares at him expectantly.

“Wh- what?”

“C'mon Kageyama. You've gotta give me more than that. It's super cool we live together! Even though I thought you lived in Tokyo”

Kageyama looks slightly mollified at this. “I... we... live here in Osaka. I have a small apartment in Tokyo too for volleyball season, but it just made sense...” his voice trails off.

“Made sense?”

Kageyama pauses. It seems like he's working things out in his head, so Hinata waits patiently for him to continue.

“It was just easier. My sister lives here in Osaka and it's closer to home... and I like it better here than Tokyo. And you're here- I mean, it made sense to live together...” Kageyama shrugs and looks at the ground, and Hinata feels a wave of happiness.

“Well I wish I remembered how it happened, but I'm happy we live together.” And Hinata is happy. The fact that he gets to see Kagayama on regular basis gives him an excited butterfly feeling in his stomach.

Kageyama looks up hopefully, “so you are happy we live together?”

“Of course I am,” Hinata laughs. “It's awesome that we're roommates.”

Kageyama quickly looks back down at the ground. He doesn't say anything else, just starts picking at his nails the way that he always does when he's upset or stressed. Why would he be upset though? Hinata doesn't think he's said anything wrong.

“Kageyama” he calls out gently “Kageyama” and is struck by the look in Kageyama's eyes when he turns his face upwards. His eyes are wide and sad, and his mouth is closed in a thin line.

“Kage-yama?”

He doesn't reply. He just stares into Hinata's eyes.

Hinata is so focused on his face that he doesn't hear the knock on the door until he hears his mother's voice.

“Hello boys.”

Hinata and Kageyama tear their gazes away from each other and greet Hinata's mom who just came into the room. She's here for one last meeting with Dr. Sato before Hinata gets discharged. He had requested that she and Kageyama both attend his meeting since they would both be helping Hinata recover.

The three spend a few minutes chatting before being interrupted by Dr. Sato and Nurse Aika. Well at least Hinata and his mom are chatting, Kageyama is acting like his typically reticent self.

“Good afternoon,” says Nurse Aika as she comes over to begin taking Hinata's vitals. Dr. Sato shakes everybody's hand and takes a seat.

“Thank you for coming today. I know we're all ready to get Hinata out of here as soon as possible, and I think myself along with the rest of Hinata's team have come up with a plan to make that happen.”

“When?!” Kageyama and Hinata manage to somehow ask at the exact same time.

Nurse Aika smiles at the boys and checks her clipboard, “we're looking to release you on Friday.”

Hinata's brain starts going a mile a minute. Finally, time to get out of this hospital. He is completely sick of the constant smell of disinfectant.

“Let's talk about your living and work situation, Mr. Hinata.” says the Doctor.

“Luckily, volleyball season is over” says his mom. 'He'll be able to focus on just getting better.”

“Exactly” continues the doctor, “he'll have plenty of time to recover from his physical injuries and for his arm and ribs to heal. In three weeks we'll be able to take the stitches out of his forehead. And in six weeks we'll remove the cast and he can start more intensive physical therapy.”

So far everything sounds good to Hinata. Of course six weeks without playing volleyball will feel like literal torture to him, but things could be worse. He almost misses the doctor's next sentence.

“-and we'll want him to meet with a therapist that specializes in amnesia recovery at least once a week. We think that will help him with the recovery process and make his transition easier once the memories do come back.”

Hinata's mom smiles reassuringly and brushes Hinata's hair off his forehead, “Well this all sounds good so far.”

Kageyama nods in agreement.

“Great” says Dr. Sato, “and now I think it's time to bring Hinata up to speed on a few things regarding his living situation and his missing memories.”

He turns towards Hinata, “Mr. Hinata, you may have noticed that that your mother and Mr. Kageyama have not exactly been forthcoming with any information regarding the past fourteen months.”

“Uhh yeah. I did notice that. They've both been avoiding all my questions.”

“I see. Well, I have to take responsibility for that” Dr. Sato says. “it was under my direct orders that they have been withholding certain information from you. Your brain needs a chance to heal by itself. Any information that you learn from a third party could interfere with your ability to recover your own memories. So I'm asking anybody who interacts with you, to tell you as little as possible.”

He bows his head respectfully towards Hinata's mother and Kageyama- “I am sure that hasn't been easy on either of you, so you have my thanks.”

They return his bow as he continues speaking.

“Moving forward I will need you, and anybody who encounters Hinata, to maintain this same policy. He will be told as little information about his missing memories as possible. Hinata, this means you may make assumptions that are incorrect. Even in this case, I would need the people around you to let you continue to think that. Even if is not one hundred percent accurate-”

“Wait.”

Hinata whipped his head around. Kageyama rarely spoke up at these meetings, so hearing his voice was surprising.

“Can you explain what that means exactly? If he doesn't know something or he thinks some that wrong, we can't correct him. Wh-what if it's something really important...”

Kageyama's voice trails off and Hinata is struck by how serious he looks.

“I understand this is an incredibly complicated and frustrating situation,” says Dr. Sato, “but this is our best option right now. We don't want to interfere with the natural healing process, so our best bet is to let him remember things on his own. It's better that we let him keep his incorrect assumptions and give him a chance to remember rather than dumping a bunch of information on him. Just flat out telling him what has happened in the past fourteen could lower his chances of recovery. We need to give him as little information as possible.”

Kageyama looks like he wants to say more, but resigns himself to nodding in acceptance.

Hinata chews on his lip as he considers everything. He can't exactly say that he's thrilled with the plan moving forward, but it doesn't seem like he has much of a choice. He wants his memories back and if this is the best way... well, he'll deal with being clueless for a little while. The doctor seems to think his memories will return within a few weeks or months. It's certainly not the end of the world.

“Let's do it,” he says. “If Dr. Sato and Nurse Aika think this is the best way for me to get my memories back I want to try it.”

Hinata's mom agrees and everybody decides to move forward with the plan. Though Hinata notes that Kageyama seems to be the most reluctant. Though he can't puzzle out why that would be the case.

They discuss the finer details and with everything figured out, Hinata is told he'll be released from the hospital on Friday.

* * *

Hinata is glad he has a single room because he would feel terrible right now if somebody was sharing the room and trying to sleep through all this.

Bokuto and Atsumu have devolved into a shouting match over the nuances of UNO rules regarding stacking numbers of different colors.

Akaashi is attempting to chime in with the official rules he looked up on is phone and being summarily ignored, while Kageyama stares at them with a look of confusion and possibly amusement on his face. Hinata can't help the uproarious laughter breaking free from his chest. It's been a pretty rough few days, and having his friends from volleyball here to visit is feeling him up with giddiness.

While he's known Bokuto and Atusumu since high school, they have become an unbreakable trio since joining the Black Jackals. Apparently, both of them had been desperately trying to get in contact with Hinata to check on him since they found out about the accident. But Hinata's phone was destroyed in the car accident, and with way to contact him, they've had to wait until the hospital allowed them to come visit. With one day left until Hinata goes home, he's finally been deemed well enough to have his friends come during visiting hours. Of course they've been given the run down on what happened and know not to give him any direct information regarding his missing memories.

Surrounded by his friends and teammates, laughing and arguing over stupid stuff, Hinata is starting to feel normal for the first time in days.

“That's not how ya play! You can't put down all those cards at once- they're different colors.” snapped Atsumu melodramatically.

“It's called stacking! It's the same number, so as long as the bottom number is green, the rest of the colors don't matter” argues Bokuto with a passion that is usually reserved for volleyball.

“That's so stupid!”

“Is not!”

“Is so!”

“You're just mad that I have Uno”

“You don't have uno ya cheater! Yer not allowed to put all those cards down at once.”

Kageyama catches looks at Hinata and rolls his eyes. For some reason this makes Hinata laugh even harder.

“Okay, okay” Bokuto pats Atsumu's shoulder. “Akaashi knows all the rules, so he'll just decide who's right.”

“What?!” bellows Atsumu in a tone of voice completely inappropriate for both his current location in a hospital and the low stakes of the game. “He's totally biased. Obviously he's gonna pick yer side.”

“AKAASHII” Bokuto calls in an equally inappropriate tone of voice. “Can't I put all of these cards down?! I can, right?”

Akaashi smiles calmly at Bokuto and Bokuto grins smugly at Atsumu. “Actually, Bokato-san, stacking the cards is technically against the rules. You can only play one of them.”

Atsumu roars with laughter at the smug look being immediately wiped from Bokuto's face.

“Akaashiii” he howls while grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him back and forth, “How could you do that to me?! I had Uno!”

Now Atsumu is the one with the smug look, “No ya didn't. Even yer own husband is on my side. Take back yer cards ya stupid owl!”

Wait. That word catches Hinata's attention.

“Husband?”

That stops Bokuto and Atsumu in their tracks as they both slowly turn their heads to look at Hinata.

Atsumu opens and closes his mouth, like he's trying to figure out a way to spin this. Akaashi eyes Hinata carefully.

Bokuto, with absolutely no awareness of the tense mood, enthusiastically proclaims “Of course he's my husband! You were at our party after we...” he trails off when he sees Atsumu frantically shaking his head and Kageyama signaling at him to be quiet.

“Oh no.” The smile falls off Bokuto's face.

Akaashi sighs exasperatedly, but Hinata can see the fond look that Akaashi gives Bokuto, as he kindly pats his shoulder. “Bokuto-san, Hinata doesn't remember that. We aren't supposed to refer to anything that happened in the past fourteen months”

“I forgot” Bokuto groaned “sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm not good at keeping quiet.”

Hinata chuckles, “I know that; It's really not a big deal, Bokuto. It was an accident. I just wish I could remember it! I'm happy for you, but even after you get married Akaashi still calls you Bokuto- _san_ , huh?”

Atsumu grins evilly, “Akaashi doesn't call him Bokuto-san _all_ the time. Not when they're fu-”

He is cut off when Bokuto elbows him straight in the stomach. Akaashi's face flushes a dark red, and Hinata can't help but crack up at his boisterous teammates as they playfully wrestle. Even Kageyama seems amused when Bokuto manages to get Atsumu in a headlock.

“It's wild” Atsumu chokes out from under Bokuto's arm “I can believe ya don't remember anything. Not that ya would remember their wedding party anyways. You got trashed.”

“You're not supposed to tell him that” Akaashi frowns.

Atsumu manages to squirm his way out of Bokuto's hold “Cat's kinda out of the bag already, he knows yer married now. But no spillin' the beans on anything else, owl head.”

“I can't say I'm surprised by it anyways.” Hinata says. Akaashi and Bokuto have been practically inseparable since he first met them at training camp in ninth grade. He's honestly not sure when they transitioned from friends to dating. He's not even sure they know. It just seems to have happened so naturally for them.

“I'm happy for the both of you” he grins. “So you really got married, huh? You both are great together.”

Akaashi takes Bokuto's hand.

“Well as married as possible. Obviously it's not legal here, but we got married in America and had a reception here to celebrate. And that's all the information you're getting out of us. You need to remember things on your own, Hinata.”

“Awwww” Hinata whines dramatically and playfully crosses his arms, “I missed everything.”

Atsumu laughs and reaches over to ruffle Hinata's hair. “No worries, Shoyo. You'll get everything back soon. You know all of us got your back.”

“Let's keep playing” Kageyama suddenly says.

“Man, Kageyama, I didn't know you were such a fan of Uno,” laughs Bokuta. He seems to resign himself to only playing the one card.

Hinata rolls his eyes, “Kageyama is competitive about everything.”

“You're no better!” snaps back Kageyama.

Hinata laughs, but he can't help but notice that Kageyama isn't even looking at the cards in his hand. His eyes are trained on Atsumu, whose hand is still resting on Hinata's head.

Atsumu seems to pick up on this as well. “Oh yeah? Tobio, are ya feelin' competitive over _something?_ ” He twirls a few strands of Hinata's hair and winks. “What's got ya on edge?”

“Nothing!” Kageyama snaps back.

Atsumu drops his his hand from Hinata's hair to his shoulder and squeezes playfully. “If ya say so, To-bi-io” he says in a lilting voice. “It's yer turn by the way.”

Kageyams purses his lips like he wants to say more, but thinks better of it. He drops a card on the pile.

Hinata looks from Kageyama across from him to Atsumu to his side. There seems to be an air of tension. Bokuto and Akaashi have obviously picked up on it as well as both are shifting nervously in their seats. Hinata isn't exactly sure what's going on, but years of playing with (and now against) Kageyama have made him fairly adept at reading Kageyama's body language. His tense shoulders, his mouth in a thin line, his hands clenching- he's somewhere in between upset, frustrated, and angry.

Atsumu of course is humming quietly and seems like he doesn't have a care in the world. Riling people up is his favorite activity after all, and Kageyama is his favorite victim. Well, second favorite victim Hinata thinks. Sakusa has always been his favorite.

Akaashi clears his throat, “So you're out of here tomorrow, Hinata?”

Hinata perks up. “Yep! I'm checking out first thing in the morning. I can't wait to go home.” A thought suddenly strikes him and he points dramatically at Kageyama. “Wait, a minute! I don't even know where we live! I don't remember deciding to move in together at all. I don't know what our house looks like!”

Bokuto and Atsumu burst out laughing and all the tension in the room dissolves. The volleyball players spend another couple hours playing games, laughing, and hanging out. Hinata's cheeks hurt from smiling so much by the time Akaashi, Bokuto, and Atsumu start getting ready to head out.

“Don't worry Hinata” Bokuto says as he's getting ready to go, “We'll tell Captain Meian that you're doing well, and should be back to volleyball in the next three months. Everybody on the team is worried about you.”

Atsumu pokes Hinata playfully in the cheek. “Get a new phone soon. And make sure ya do the physical therapy and everything. Everyone of the team wants ya back. And I need _my_ ace back.” He gives a pointed look at Kageyama when he says this. As respectful as always, Akaashi bows his head politely and says goodbye.

“We'll come visit you at your apartment soon” Bokuto cheerfully calls out. Hinata enthusiastically waves them out the door.

“That was fun” he smiles at Kageyama. This is exactly what he needed, he thinks to himself. His teammates might be a little crazy, and more than a little obnoxious sometimes, but he loves them all. Even though he doesn't remember anything past the first four months of being teammates.

Kageyama just grunts in response.

Hinata rolls his eyes. Kageyama is clearly in some kind of mood. “What's with you, Grumpyama? You and Atsumu still don't get along I guess. You know he just likes to mess with you. I don't even know what you were annoyed about this time.”

Kageyama sighs and moves to the chair that Atsumu vacated, right next to Hinata. He awkwardly hovers his hands over Hinata like he wants to do something, but eventually drops his hands down into his own lap.

“We do get along now, for the most part. He just... frustrates me sometimes.”

“Because he messes with you?” Hinata tilts his head to the side. “That's just how he is; he messes with people that he likes. You should see how much he bothers Sakusa at practice.”

“It's not really that. He just.. he fl-flirts with you a lot.” Kageyama's face turns pink after he says that.

Oh. Hinata isn't sure how he's supposed to feel about that. Kageyama is looking everywhere in the room other than Hinata's eyes. He has a point, Atsumu is definitely a flirtatious guy, there's no question about that. He's a handsome guy too.

“You were my spiker first”

“What?” Hinata asks.

Kageyama's face gets steadily redder, “He always calls you _his_ ace and _his_ spiker, but you were spiking my sets first.”

Oh.

Hinata isn't exactly sure what to say about that. He's not really used to jealous Kageyama. Of course Kageyama would be jealous over volleyball of all things.

“I'm a professional volleyball player, dummy. I work with a lot of setters.”

“I know,” Kageyama snaps “He just likes to rub it in my face because he knows I-”

“I...” Hinata prompts him.

Kageyama sighs “It's nothing. I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning. I'll rent a car, so we don't have to take public transit.”

Hinata notes Kageyama's sudden change of topic but doesn't say anything. “That sounds good to me.”

Kageyama awkwardly ends their interaction with patting Hinata on the head and heading out. Hinata decides not to even attempt to figure out what that was all about as he settles down in his bed, ready for this day to end.

* * *

Hinata is ready to go bright and early Friday morning. Too bright and early, Kageyama doesn't get there for another 3 hours, so Hinata spends the hours of five am to eight am clicking through infomercials on TV, and trying to forget about how Kageyama said he was 'his spiker first.'

Finally, the time comes to check out. Nurse Aika and Dr. Sato are there to go over the plan with him one last time. He'll be going to his first psychiatric appointment in a couple days, and returning for regular checkups with Dr. Sato. The most important thing that Dr. Sato emphasizes is that Hinata doesn't try to force himself to remember, he should let things happen naturally. Go about his day as normally as possible, talk with the people he normally talks to, do the activities that he normally does, and just let his brain recover.

Kageyama comes with a change of clothes for Hinata, and listens carefully to instructions from the doctor regarding Hinata's recovery. And _finally_ it's time to go. He's so relieved to be heading home (to an apartment he doesn't remember nonetheless) that he doesn't even begrudge Nurse Aika for forcing him into the very embarrassing wheelchair- _it's hospital policy_ after all _._

With a hug to Aika and a review of some last forms, Hinata is being pushed out of the hospital. Kageyama has rented a large SUV, and helps Hinata into the car, adjusts the seat settings, and helps with the seat-belt. Hinata would be embarrassed about how Kageyama is fussing over him, but he finds it kind of cute.

Kageyama takes his spot in the driver's seat and sits there with his hands on the wheel.

Hinata looks at him, “uhhh are we going?”

Kageyama nods, but still doesn't move.

“Anytime, Kageyama.”

Kageyama nods again, “Are you sure you're okay? Just being back in a car and everything? It's not freaking you out?”

Hinata is touched. “I'm fine, I'm not having flashbacks or anything. I'm ready to go.”

Kageyama finally backs up and pulls out of the hospital parking lot. They had been driving in comfortable silence for a few minutes, before a thought suddenly strikes Hinata. “Hey, Kageyama?”

“Hmmm”

“Do I have a girlfriend?”

“Huhh?” Kageyama slams on the brakes.

“Careful! I just got in a car accident, remember!” Hinata shouts, rubbing at his stitches. “Jeez, it was just a question.”

“Well it was a dumb question” snaps Kageyama.

“Okay, okay, no girlfriend I guess” sighs Hinata. He taps his fingers thoughtfully on the dashboard before speaking again, “what about a boyfriend?”

Kageyama swallows and opens his mouth, “What's with the questions all of a sudden? It's not like I can tell you anything. The doctor told you not to ask about all this stuff...” his voice trails off, and is it Hinata's imagination or are Kageyama's cheeks turning pink?

What is that all about, Hinata wonders. Kageyama seems... embarrassed? Like Hinata asking about a boyfriend is making him feel uncomfortable. But Hinata has been confidently out as pan-sexual since his final year in High School, and Kageyama has never had any kind of issue with it before.

“I know. I know. I'm supposed to remember on my own” he says just to break the awkward silence. “I guess if I had a partner, they would've come to the hospital to visit me, so that answers my question anyways.”

Kageyama tightens his grip on the steering wheel, but doesn't speak.

Hinata fidgets in his seat for a bit before he flips down the mirror. He realizes this is the first time he's really looked at his face in awhile. There hasn't been any great changes in his face despite the time that has passed. But It's not as if twenty-three years old is that much older than twenty-two years old old.

His hair is fluffy and wild, the result of using off brand hospital shampoo for the past week. Jis face is a little paler than he's used to, but the biggest difference in his face is the line of black stitches that stand out against his pale skin. He runs his finger gently over the line on his forehead. Hinata sighs and flips the mirror shut before he notices that Kageyama is looking at him out of the side of eye.

“You don't look bad or anything.”

“Huh” Hinata raises his eyebrow at Kageyama in question.

“Your scar. It doesn't look bad. I-I mean you look fine with it. If you were self-conscious or anything.”

Hinata stares at Kageyama for a beat before breaking out in a huge smile. “Wow! You're so nice to me now. It's really weird, Kageyama.”

Kageyama glares at Hinata. “I'm nice to you all the time, idiot Hinata.”

“There's the scary face I'm used to!”

Kageyama somehow increases the power of his glare, and Hinata just laughs. He's _missed_ Kageyama. He will never regret going to Brazil- that experience was essential to him, as both a volleyball player and a person. He homesickness and isolation, but he also learned about himself. And Kageyama was there with him. Not physically of course, but he was always in the back of his mind. (And on a computer screen during their bimonthly Skype calls.) Hinata left to become strong for himself, but he wanted Kageyama to be proud of him too.

He shakes himself out of his thoughts, “I hope my memories come back soon.”

Kageyama reaches out and pats his head. It's awkward, but comforting. It's very Kageyama. “I hope they come back soon too.

He turns into the parking garage of a large apartment complex. And Hinata can't lie to himself, it's a lot nicer than the place he actually remembers living in. He whistles as he and Kageyama get off the elevator and step into their shared apartment.

After taking off his shoes, he takes a look around. It's fairly sparse- which makes sense- neither he nor Kageyama have ever shown a penchant for interior design. There's a medium sized kitchen with a decent amount of counter space, and a small kitchen table in the corner. Though Hinata notes the table is covered with various papers and mail, so they obviously don't do a lot of eating there. The kitchen leads into a spacious living room, with a large gray L shaped couch facing a huge TV. There's various volleyball posters tacked up on the walls.

Down the hallway, Hinata can see a few doors which he assumes are bedrooms and a bathroom.

“Wow, Kageyama, you didn't bother to straighten anything up so I could come home to a clean house.”

Kageyama scowls at him. “You're just as messy as me. And I was too worried to cl- I mean. I've been too busy to clean.”

Despite Kageyama trying to hide it, Hinata can tell that Kageyama was being earnest. He really _was_ worried. Hinata thinks about the nurse telling him that Kageyama stayed at the hospital from the time they brought him in until he woke up without going home. The fact that he visited almost every day and brought snacks and games. That he attending meetings with the doctor and he rented a car to pick Hinata up from the hospital and drive him home. That he reassured Hinata about his injury on his face. That he was standing here looking awkward as usual, but with caring eyes.

And it's making him feel... things. Things that he felt in high school when he realized he'd had feelings for his rival went beyond friendship. Things that he wanted to confess before leaving for Brazil but never did because he was too scared _._ Things that he thought he left behind when he was in Brazil.

Honestly, Hinata thinks to himself. It's not like he spent his time in Brazil _pining_ over Kageyama or anything. Hinata had been able to cut himself off from those feeling in the time he was abroad. He dated- a lot actually- and did everything from random hookups to exclusive relationships.

Coming back to Japan, Hinata had fully expected his feelings for Kageyama to stay buried. And while that didn't exactly happen- having regular contact in the form of lunches and the occasional hangout, as well as volleyball related activities proved to be too much and his crush returned- but this didn't feel like a crush. This felt...

Nope. Hinata needed to cut off that line of thinking right away. Having a little crush was no problem. He could keep that under control. He was not going to let his feelings escalate beyond that. Honestly, what had he been thinking moving in together. That's basically just playing with fire.

Hinata realizes he hasn't said anything for several minutes and awkwardly rubs at his neck.

“Are you remembering anything?” Kageyama asks quietly.

“Not yet” Hinata sighs, “But show me my room. That may help.”

“Okay. Come this way.”

Kageyama walks Hinata down the hallway and gestures towards a closed door. Hinata steps through it and looks around, hoping to get a huge rush of his memories returning to him. No such luck. It's a pretty basic bedroom. The room itself is small, but with a large bed in the center with a blue comforter, two end-tables on either side, and a dresser in the corner. It's fairly neat- Hinata has always been the kind of person who uses the bedroom just for sleeping and spends most of his time elsewhere.

Hinata walks towards the bed and runs his hand over the comforter. He has a vague sense of Déjà vu like he's been here before, but that's all that comes to him. He shakes his head sadly at Kageyama.

“Nothing, huh” sighs Kageyama from the doorway. “Well, you should take a nap, and see if that helps at all.”

“Ehh? I just got here and it's still morning. I don't want to take a nap. I want to do something fun!”

“Well, too bad!” Kageyama snaps. “Your doctor told me you should still be resting and sleeping as much as possible. That's when your brain heals. So you need to take a nap!”

Hinata scrunches up his face and pouts. Truth be told, he _is_ pretty tired. Even though all he's done today is get checked out of the hospital and make it home, he did wake up pretty early. Maybe a nap wouldn't be the worst idea.

“I can tell you're getting tired, dummy. You don't have to hide it” Kageyama says in a voice that's entirely too smug. He softens a little when he looks at Hinata's pouting face. “I have to go return the rental car anyways. Try to get some sleep. Sleeping in the bed might help you remember.”

Hinata feels his resolve weakening. “Okay, fine. I'll try. But you'll be here when I wake up, right?”

Kageyama's eyes widen a little bit, “of c-course.”

“Fine” Hinata acquiesces. “I'm guessing your bedroom is next door?”

Kageyama looks completely shocked at this question and it seems like his voice is caught in his throar until he stumbles out a 'ye-yes, the other room is down the hall. My room is down the hall.”

Well, that was a weird reaction, Hinata thinks to himself. “Okay, okay I'll try to get some sleep.”

He tucks himself under the covers and wriggles around, trying to get comfortable. The sheets are fresh and the comforter feels warm and cozy. Hinata sniffs the pillowcase. It smells nice- like laundry detergent. There's hints of another scent as well. Something that Hinata can't identify, but gives him a nice calm feeling. It makes him feel safe.

He yawns loudly, completely negating the illusion that he's not tired. “I'll see you when you get back. Turn off the lights for me?”

Kageyama reaches for the light-switch, but hesitates. He seems to be thinking something over. He looks at Hinata and suddenly walks into the room and kneels by the bed. “You have to get better” he says in a voice softer than Hinata ever thought possible. “Just... I need you to get better. So you can play volleyball again. And.. so you can remember.”

His blue eyes are shining.

Hinata gives him a smile, “Of course I'll get better. I won't let you beat me, so I need to heal.” He gestures to his injured arm- “I won't let this stop me.”

“Good” Kageyama says quietly. “I just want you to remember everything. It's really important you do.”

Then he does something unexpected. He reaches his hand out and gently strokes Hinata's cheek before giving Hinata and walking out the door. Hinata wants to analyze the situation, but he's too tired, and all he can do is replay the moment in his mind as he falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm having a lot of fun writing fanfiction. It's something I haven't done for a very long time, so I appreciate any comments or feedback.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This is my first serious attempt at writing fanfiction since around... 2003 probably. I'm excited to be trying this again. Please feel free to give me any constructive criticism or advice- I really want to get better.


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